TBT: You Can’t Beat These Android Phone Designs
TBT: You Can’t Beat These Android Phone Designs
https://www.droid-life.com/2026/06/11/tbt-heres-our-top-5-favorite-android-hardware/
Publish Date: 2026-06-11 12:38:00
Source Domain: www.droid-life.com
Kellen and I were talking Android hardware this week, which then ended up with us sharing photos of our favorite Android phones. Since it’s now Thursday, it seemed like a great opportunity for a classy #TBT.
This is a quick look back at our favorite Android hardware. We limited it to a top 5, even though it could easily be a top 10 or top 15. There are a few phones that could be swapped in for what we have here, such as the HTC One (M7 and M8), but when you have to lock in and select just 5, cuts have to be made.
Enjoy. Please feel free to argue for your favorites down in the comments. The below list is numbered, but they aren’t true rankings.
1. Moto X
This phone could be customized to suit anyone’s taste. Leather backs. Wood backs. Whatever you wanted. We know some people weren’t fans of the leather backside, but oh my, it was absolutely glorious and aged beautifully. Or how about the bamboo backsides? Motorola knocked this one out of the park.
2. Nexus 5 (in Red)
If the Nexus 5 (Red) didn’t release, I don’t think either the White or Black variants would have made the list. When we ask for more red phones from Android OEMs, this is the red we’re looking for. It’s a bright red, scorching the eyes. And with the matching earpiece, it was such a hot phone.
3. Nexus 4 (in White)
The Nexus 4 certainly had its issues, but hardware was not one of them. What a classy device. We definitely broke a fair share of them, but fragile glass backside aside, it’s a hot phone. Google and LG used a dotted glass pattern which resulted in what’s apparently called a chatoyance effect. While the black model was good looking, the white one really stood apart to us.
4. LG G3
At the time, LG G3 was my favorite phone. I loved the introduction of rear-facing buttons, allowing for an ultra thin device. The camera was very good, plus the software wasn’t completely…
